Average Household Spends More on Games than DVDs

The average household will spend just under five percent of their entertainment budget on videogames, according to a new survey published by Nielsen.

Nielsen polled 3,000 households about their entertainment expenditures, specifically focusing on videogames. While overall households spend 4.9 percent on games, households that actively sought out and bought videogames regularly spent 9.3 percent of their entertainment budgets on games.

The game purchasing patterns were also notable for surpassing a number of traditional media, print media being rated at 4.2 percent expenditure, premium TV packages at 4.1 percent, DVD or Blu-Ray purchase and rental at 3.5 percent, and general music purchases at 2.8 percent.

In addition, of the households polled, 24 percent are considered active buyers of videogames (active buyers determined as households that spent at least $1 a month on videogame-relate purchases). Game purchasers were also more likely to purchase movie tickets, sport activities, and live events. So much for the lazy gamer stereotype, huh?

Among the mediums beating out videogames were activities centered around “going out,” (i.e. shopping and dining) with 24.8 percent, and regular TV (including basic cable) rating at 17.9 percent. Other higher-rating activities included general hobbies, seeing live performances or movies, and cell-phone entertainment, which encompassed any cell phone-related purchase outside the basic calling plan.

Gaming households also rated lower in the consumption of traditional media like print and basic cable, with 13 percent compared to the average 17.9 percent consumption, and print media consumption at 3.4 percent compared to the average 4.2 percent. So are gamers reading and watching TV less, or just not paying for it? It’s hard to say, we may see more when Nielsen releases the full report this March.

Source: Nielsen Wire via GamePolitics